Browns got hectic’ in final day of NFL draft

Death and taxes. A pesky pair there. But are even they as sure as Phil Savage pulling off a draft-day trade?

Steve Doerschuk

Death and taxes. A pesky pair there. But are even they as sure as Phil Savage pulling off a draft-day trade?

After a deep sleep of a draft Saturday, Savage stepped on the gas with a Sunday drive that left the Browns with potential starters at inside linebacker and tight end.

Savage woke up Sunday scheduled to make his first pick of the draft at No. 122.

“Then I got hectic,” he said.

He traded into the No. 104 spot to get UNLV linebacker Beau Bell and into the No. 111 hole to grab Missouri tight end Martin Rucker. By the end of the day, Savage had made one deal and jumped his trade total involving draft picks to 19 in less than 3 1/2 years.

Savage’s familiar trade partner was Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who might be sorry if the new players help the Browns beat Dallas in a Sept. 7 season opener. Savage thinks Bell will play immediately and that Rucker might. He sees both as second-round values, albeit not quite in the talent echelon of last year’s No. 53 pick Eric Wright, also obtained in a deal with Jones.

“When we still had a second-round pick, in January, we gave our scouts a dirty dozen,” Savage said. “I said, ‘Watch these players, because they could possibly be a consideration for us with the No. 56 pick.

“Mike Rucker was in the offensive group. Beau Bell was in the defensive group.”

The stock of both players tumbled.

“What changed is the fact the NFL tries to pick players apart,” Savage said. “They didn’t change for us. We liked both of them coming out of the fall.

“It worked out well for us. We feel like Beau Bell and Martin Rucker can be answers for us in the future.”

Tight end was hardly a Browns weakness, with Pro Bowler Kellen Winslow Jr. and veteran Steve Heiden in the fold, but it was a concern. Winslow wants a contract with three years left on it re-done, and he has fought injuries since blowing out a knee at Dallas in 2004.

“Kellen has had another offseason of medical concerns,” Savage said. “Steve Heiden had a back issue about a week ago. We feel like both guys are gonna be with us and ready to go, but Martin will get some experience right out of the gate (in spring drills).”

Savage had no progress to report on contract talks with Winslow’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus.

“We’re talking about a player with three years left on his deal,” Savage said. “One year was added after the (2005) motorcycle accident. I guess that would be up for discussion.”

As to 2008 expectations, Savage thinks the Browns are at least in the discussion of relevant teams. It was interesting to hear Bell, the new linebacker, talk about falling in the draft after once being considered a Round 2 pick.

“I’m glad,” he said, “because if that wouldn’t have happened, I wouldn’t be a Cleveland Brown.”